Hundreds of Bias Complaints Cite 'Hostile Climate' for Muslims at Harvard
More than 30 members of the Harvard community gathered on Monday to deliver 452 formal complaints to the university’s Massachusetts Hall, alleging that the institution has allowed a “pervasive bias against Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians” to persist on campus, the Harvard Crimson reported on Tuesday.
The complaints were submitted by students, faculty, staff, and alumni involved in a newly formed coalition called Harvard United for an Inclusive Campus. Organizers said the documents, which detail incidents of discrimination and a hostile campus environment, had previously been sent to the university’s Office for Community Conduct but were largely ignored.
“At best, we have received no response or a cold form email from Harvard administrators,” wrote Lara Z. Jirmanus, a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and one of the demonstration’s organizers, in a press release.
The group decided to print the complaints and deliver them directly to the office of interim Harvard President Alan M. Garber. A copy was also sent to the university’s antisemitism task force, which Garber formed last year.
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Two university task force reports—one focused on antisemitism and the other on anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bias—were released earlier this month. Both studies documented widespread discomfort on campus, noting that 92 percent of Muslim and 61 percent of Jewish respondents felt unsafe expressing their views. Despite acknowledging such concerns, demonstrators argue that the reports failed to address the “systemic anti-Palestinian racism” experienced by many at the university.
During a press conference outside Massachusetts Hall, members of the coalition criticized the university’s approach as inadequate. “The University continues to uphold a double standard,” Jirmanus said, claiming the reports reflect a broader pattern of ignoring discrimination against those not politically aligned with powerful interests.
Avi S. Steinberg, a Radcliffe writing fellow, added that the task forces appeared more concerned with appeasing political pressure than protecting vulnerable students.
“Reports like this are not intended to protect us,” Steinberg said. “They’re intended to protect people in power… and build alliances of convenience with cynical operators in Washington, D.C.”
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Tensions have escalated between the university and the federal government after the Trump administration froze Harvard’s federal funding, accusing the institution of promoting ideologically biased programming. In response, the university rejected demands for an external audit of its academic departments.
At the rally, several speakers said the university’s refusal to engage with complaints from Muslim and Palestinian community members has left them feeling vulnerable.
Irene Ameena, a student at Harvard Law School, said: “Now, in the face of Trump, Harvard pretends that it is standing up, but you cannot stand up for freedom and silence members of your own community.”
Source: Agencies
